


double chocolate kisses

by tellmewhatyousee



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Cake, F/M, Fluff, Pre-Relationship, Valentine's Day, baker!Sanji
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:26:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29441868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tellmewhatyousee/pseuds/tellmewhatyousee
Summary: On Valentine's Day, Sanji keeps one of his regulars company.
Relationships: Violet/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	double chocolate kisses

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bajillian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bajillian/gifts).



> i planned to write a few little ficlets today but got "chocolate" as a single prompt and this is longer than it was supposed to be because i just. love this ship. they're so. cute
> 
> happy valentine's day! ❤️

The Baratie may have been a humble little bakery hidden on a street full of fancy restaurants, but the food was impeccable. Nearly everyone in the city knew of Sanji’s signature pastries, all created and crafted by the man himself.

Over the years, he’d seen plenty of regular customers— from elderly couples showing up every morning for freshly baked bread, to kids dropping by after school a few times a week for a treat. Of all his patrons, Sanji was especially fond of one woman who had first visited at the beginning of the month.

Her name was Viola, he’d learned quickly— he liked to get to know his regulars, after all (especially the pretty ones). She’d just recently moved to the city with dreams of being a dancer, and whenever she talked about those dreams, her face lit up in a way that made Sanji melt. In the span of only a couple weeks, he was absolutely smitten.

The bakery was always open on Valentine’s Day because it was the perfect holiday for sweets. (Also, Sanji was single, and serving pastries and candy helped fill the girlfriend-shaped void in his heart.) Just as he’d expected, he got a rush of customers in the morning— mostly people looking to surprise their partners later in the day— and things settled down around lunchtime.

While Sanji was more than happy to provide for the city’s lovely couples, the lull in business left him to mourn his own relationship status. He could always chalk it up to being engrossed in his work... while many lovely (and single) women came in and out of the Baratie every day, he never dared to flirt with a customer during business hours. As tempting as it was, he knew it would be disrespectful, and he didn’t want to earn a bad reputation (again). So, finding love during work hours was out of the question.

As he sat hunched over the front counter, seriously considering signing up for one of those awful dating sites (again), the bell above the door rang. Sanji jumped up, straightened his posture, and fixed his hair before he looked towards the door with a polite smile... one that quickly turned into a look of shock.

_Viola._

“Hi, Sanji!” she greeted him with a smile so bright it could’ve blinded him. She wore a long, red coat that hugged her curves in the nicest way possible, and it took all of Sanji’s concentration to keep his eyes from wandering. “Happy Valentine’s Day!” she said.

Sanji shook his head to compose himself before his smile made a return. “Well, hello, Miss Viola,” he greeted, sounding much calmer than he felt. “Happy Valentine’s Day to you as well. Will you be having the usual?”

Viola hummed, tapping her finger on her chin as she approached the counter to look down at the displays. “No, I think I’ll have something more... special today,” she said. “What do you recommend?”

Sanji raised his eyebrows. “Well, let’s see what we have out here,” he said as he walked around to the front of the counter. He knew exactly what was on display, of course— he’d set it up himself. He just wanted an excuse to stand near her.

“Is this for you?” he asked, “Or are you sharing with a… special someone?”

Viola giggled. “Oh, no, it’s just me today,” she said, “I thought I would go out and treat myself instead of moping around at home, you know?”

Sanji nodded. Oh, he _knew._ “Of course, you deserve it,” he replied. “I believe some chocolate is in order, then. How about some cake?”

“Ooh, that sounds wonderful,” Viola said, but when she glanced back at the display, she looked confused. “I don’t see any cake here, though.”

Sanji gave her a sheepish smile, hands fidgeting behind his back. “Well, I… _may_ have made one last night and decided it was too good to sell,” he admitted. “I planned on taking it home with me at the end of the day. But I’m just one man, so I don’t mind sparing a piece.”

Viola giggled again. “Oh, as long as you don’t mind sharing, I’d love to try it.”

“Of course, Miss,” Sanji replied with a slight bow of his head. “I’ll be back in just a moment.”

Once he slipped into the kitchen, he took some deep breaths so he wouldn’t just start crying. She was so beautiful, and _single_ at that. He fought quite the internal battle as he grabbed the cake from the fridge— _sure, flirting with customers is a terrible idea, but she’s pretty and single, and it’s Valentine’s Day—_ and cut a slice.

It was a double chocolate cake topped with ganache, strawberries, and his own handcrafted chocolate roses. It had taken hours to construct, but it was a labor of love— not for himself, of course. Sure, he _planned_ to take it home if it went uneaten, but he only made it because some part of him hoped that Viola would show up that day. And, by some sort of holiday miracle, his wish had been granted.

He spent a few minutes plating it, using another chocolate-covered strawberry as a garnish and drizzling more ganache across the plate. He didn’t want to keep her waiting too long, so once he was satisfied with the presentation, he walked out of the kitchen with a spring in his step.

“For you, Miss Viola,” he said as he set the plate down on the counter. As soon as he noticed his hands shaking, he stuffed them into his pockets. “On the house.”

Viola lifted a hand to her mouth and gasped. “Oh, Sanji, that’s so sweet of you!” she said with an excited little bounce as she reached for the plate. “I’m gonna have it right now. Will you join me?”

“Hm?” Sanji blinked. He’d been concentrating so much on her... _face_ that it took him a moment to process the question. “Oh, ah, sure!” He smiled and walked around to the other side of the counter again. “I’ll have to get up if any more customers come in, but I’d love to sit with you for a while.”

Viola nodded. “Of course, I don’t want to interrupt your business,” she said with a smile. “But where’s _your_ plate, Sanji?”

Sanji raised his eyebrows. _“My_ plate?”

“You made this for yourself, didn’t you?” Viola asked, playfully poking his arm. “You deserve to enjoy it, too!”

Sanji let out a nervous little laugh; he knew he was blushing, and he could only hope she wouldn’t notice. “Right, of course!” he said. “You can, ah… feel free to pick a table. I’ll be with you in a moment.”

He stumbled over his own feet on his way back to the kitchen, but thankfully made it unscathed. He didn’t want to waste time (or resources), so he didn’t bother decorating his own plate. He just cut a piece of cake and rushed back out to meet Viola.

She had chosen a table right by the window, and the way the sun shone on her features was almost enough to make Sanji stumble again. But since he was holding a plate, he was _extra_ careful and sat down at the table with as much style and grace as he could manage.

“I’m surprised you don’t have more customers today,” Viola said as she cut off a small piece of her cake with her fork.

“Oh, it was busy this morning,” Sanji said, “But everyone’s out on their lunch dates now. I’m sure it’ll pick up again after dinner.”

As Sanji spoke, Viola took her first bite. She looked like she was going to respond, but the taste must have taken her off guard because she only hummed. “This is delicious!” she said once she’d finished chewing. “Is this a new recipe?”

Sanji chuckled, blushing again as he started on his own piece. “Yeah, I... got a little experimental with it,” he said. “I’m glad you like it.”

Viola nodded. “It’s very good,” she said, “And the rose is a beautiful touch. Did you make it yourself?”

“I did,” Sanji replied. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for her to praise his work, but when they were sitting right across from each other, sharing a table and a meal on a romantic holiday, it felt... different. “It’s… a little time-consuming, but I’m glad the result is worth it.”

“Definitely!” Viola replied. “I’m sure it tastes just as good as it looks.”

While they ate their cake, they chatted away; Sanji about his latest baking endeavors, Viola about an upcoming audition. When both pieces were reduced to crumbs, Viola picked up her chocolate-covered strawberry and frowned at Sanji’s empty plate.

“You didn’t get a strawberry,” she said.

“Oh, yeah, it’s fine,” Sanji said with a wave of his hand. “It’s just a garnish. The whole… presentation thing is mostly for other people. I’m not too worried about making my own plate look nice.”

“Nonsense,” Viola said, and before Sanji could say anything else, she held the strawberry up to his lips. “You’ve worked very hard. I think the baker deserves the first bite.”

For a moment, Sanji was frozen in place, not sure what to do. Was she offering to _feed_ him, or was he somehow misinterpreting the gesture? He supposed a hand inches away from his mouth couldn’t _really_ be interpreted any other way…

He fidgeted with his fork as he took a small bite of the strawberry, careful to leave plenty of the chocolate coating for her. Viola grinned while she watched him, and the sight alone made his heart flutter as he swallowed.

“There you go!” Viola said as she pulled her hand back. “How is it?”

“Good,” Sanji replied, his voice sounding a little strained. He cleared his throat before he continued, “Thank you.”

“Thank _you!”_ Viola said before she bit into the strawberry herself. Sanji tried very hard to keep his thoughts pure as he watched her finish it off, particularly when she licked the remaining juice from her lips. “That was delicious, Sanji,” Viola said, “You _have_ to put this cake on the menu.”

Sanji nodded quickly. “Absolutely,” he said. Anything to see more of that smile of hers. It wasn’t long before he realized he was staring and decided it was time to get up. “I should, um… I should get back to the counter,” he said as he stood up. “But this was lovely.”

“Of course! I’m sure you have plenty more delicious cakes to make.” Viola stood up as well, pushing her chair in. “Oh, and Sanji?”

Sanji raised his eyebrows. “Yes, Miss Viola?” he asked.

Viola stepped closer, rested a hand on his arm, and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Sanji’s face went red as a tomato, his pulse skyrocketing to a borderline unhealthy speed. He knew he should probably respond, but all he could do was stutter.

Viola seemed quite satisfied with herself as she rushed out the door, giggling all the way.

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you think! ❤️
> 
> [tumblr](https://tellmewhatyouc.tumblr.com)


End file.
